A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Figure 5: Overcoming Challenges Pizza Hut, Inc. Challenges Keep commercialism to a minimum. Program implementation in restaurants. Student participation in classrooms. Competition. Funding. Resolution No advertising, no logo, no tracking of kids through certificates. Does not require purchase of product. Developed strategies to enhance basic program from year to year. Continually evaluate training procedures and incentives for restaurant staff. Tracked competitive programs and made field/franchisees aware of competition. Showed clear benefits to senior management to ensure commitment and support. Marriott International Challenges Child care for low-wage earners in an industry whose profit margin could not afford subsidizing it. Resolution Acted as a catalyst and established (with other lodging/institutional feeding companies in the Atlanta area) a nonprofit company to run a National Association for the Education of Young Children- accredited child care, full family service center and worked through the IRS, legal, financial, political, and community barriers. Hemmings Motor News Challenges Provide and support opportunities for employees with or without school-age children to become more actively involved in education. Resolution Provides full- and part-time employees with up to two paid days off per calendar year that can be taken in as little as two-hour increments to go to school with their children, attend parent-teacher conferences, or volunteer within the schools. Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce (RAMAC) Challenges Persuade educators that business people were serious about getting involved for the long term, but would not dictate what to do. Convince business that education was "their business" and they could effect its success. Resolution Make sure all stakeholders are committed and that the core group includes an equal representation of both business and education leaders. Encourage mutual respect, conversation, and teamwork. Establish a common purpose beyond a skilled workforce (business focus) and need for funding and expertise (education focus) around the issue, "if it's good for the children, it's good for all of us." Work at satisfying and facilitating the effort's progress for both the "doers" (short term) and the "thinkers" (long term). Sikorsky Aircraft Challenges Expand employee utilization of flexible working arrangement benefits provided by company. Resolution Determined concerns of staff and supervisors. Increased communication alternatives between these groups; committed support from senior management; and established a model, flexible, work-arrangements process that addresses both groups' concerns. Program components include a flexible work proposal process, written guidelines for staff and supervisors, a program video, mandatory management training, and employee briefings. DuPont (Delaware) Challenges Increasing concerns expressed by members of the Delaware business community about deficiencies in work-ready skills of high school graduates were not leading to any changes by a highly decentralized school system with no common system for accountability or for measuring student performance. Resolution A small group of large companies formed a business/public education council, then broadened the constituency by bringing in smaller companies, parents, public education, and higher education. Identified key problems by conducting a gap analysis to identify the difference between what companies need and what they were getting from high school graduates. The state hired a new superintendent of education who set up commissions of key stakeholders to establish education standards in all major subjects and act as advocates at local and state levels with a goal of introducing these standards in all major subject areas and then implementing them (New Directions program). Intervention of business community helped to break deadlocks and barriers to completion of standards put up by special interest groups. Key stakeholder groups worked to overcome challenges, and legislation and funding regarding standards were approved, allowing the process to move forward. United Airlines Challenges Create awareness of United's positive efforts without looking self-serving and hollow. Sustain employee commitment to education involvement. Maximize company resources to continue its growth. Resolution Implementation of specific programs (United We Care Volunteer Program, a grant process for employees, employee regional committees that encourage employees to "think globally, but act locally," and the Believers [mentoring] Program). Improved coordination and integration of internal/external and national/global projects across divisions and departments. Aligned volunteer activities with United's overall corporate culture (focused on teamwork and employee involvement). Hosted corporate-wide, global "Volunteer Summits" (patterned after the President's Summit for America's Future in Philadelphia).

-###-

Return to Step 4: Manage Initiatives